WWE's Drew McIntyre Looks Back On WrestleMania 40, Beating Seth Rollins

For three years, Drew McIntyre was intent on capturing his third world title in WWE. At WrestleMania 40, he did just that by defeating Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. During a recent interview with "Notsam Wrestling," McIntyre recalled the whirlwind of emotions he experienced in conquering this feat in front of fans and his wife.

"[To] win the match, that was all very, very real and it felt real because it is real," McIntyre said. "If it ever feels real with me, it's because it is real. When I got that title, and I had the moment and I looked at it and the people were chanting 'You deserve it' this time instead of [me] holding the title and it's silence in a Performance Center. [Instead of me] having that private moment I'd have in the hotel room later when the adrenaline left me in front of the world because it's so quiet, I'm having the adrenaline filled moment of winning the world title and I lock eyes with Seth who's also telling me 'You deserve it' ... It was awesome."

As McIntyre alluded to, his first world championship win took place in an empty WWE Performance Center as the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a global shutdown ahead of WrestleMania 36. In November 2020, McIntyre clutched his second WWE Championship reign with a win over Randy Orton in front of the WWE ThunderDome, which allowed fans to appear on screen via a live feed. It wasn't until WrestleMania 40, though, that a McIntyre-world-title win was accompanied with a live and in-person audience.

Unfortunately for McIntyre, his WWE World Heavyweight Championship reign was short-lived, as Damian Priest successfully cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase moments later. 

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Notsam Wrestling" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.